Don't Give Up
by buchanchem
Summary: Based on the 2004 PotO film and a Doctor Who cross over. Erick gets a little encouragment by the visit of an angel in strange clothes. Years later he's rejoind by that angel. what happens when he joins the gang in the TARDIS dalek sec is in it to
1. First Hope

The young boy sniffled, forcing the tears back as he reached out and pulled the potato sack back over his head, whist trying to ignore the bruising on his back. They were old bruises from a beating nearly a week ago, but they were still tender and sore.

Crouching on his knees, he picked up his toy monkey. He was quite proud of it as it was fairly well-made of what was essentially scrap cloth and spare metal. He was good with his hands. The child played with the toy, making the small cymbals crash together. In his head, the sound was glorious and huge, but the reality the tiny tings were quiet. Even so, the sound carried over in the still air with no other sounds to mask them. In fact, things were far too quiet for the gypsy camp.

Even the usually attentive guard, who should have been at his post, the cage, was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, the boy looked up and peaked through the rough eyeholes into the forest. Had something moved? An animal? Or worse? He shivered. The forest was like a great pit of evil and he did not like being so close to it alone. He was sure there dwelt monsters. Stories of the dark things were common at the campfires, and he listened in terror from the freak-cage. When he asked the gypsies, wide-eyed and stumbling over his words, if they were true, they only put a finger to their dark lips and told him solemnly not to speak of such things unless he wished to invoke their wrath.

Sighing, he continued to play with his toy and shivered as a large gust of wind blew past him. Through his clothes were threadbare and patched, his cage was mostly sheltered from the weather thanks to the tent behind him. He turned, unsure where the breeze had come from. Even though it was the beginning of cool autumn, the wind was usually not that strong yet.

"Charlotte, it's him," a feminine voice suddenly shouted with great excitement, making him jump out of his skin as he tried to hide his face, forgetting it was already covered. It wasn't time for the freakshow. He didn't want to be seen… to be laughed at and cursed and spat upon.

In front of the far end of his cage stood what he could only describe as an angel. One in strange clothing but an angel none the less. A girl about eighteen years old stood, looking at him with such kindness he thought unfit for a devil child. Her shoulder-length brown hair blew gently in the small breeze and her brown eyes sparkled with something he couldn't understand.

"Oh no, don't be scared," she whispered gently to him, curling her fingers around the bars. He shrunk back. "It's okay Erik…" His head shot up at this, unease flowing through him, for her kindness towards him was not only unusual but her knowing his name? It was impossible. No one but he knew his name.

"Katherine, where'd you go?" another girl's voice shouted. It was Charlotte judging by Katherine's answering call. She appeared, almost jogging from somewhere to the north of the camp. Her age, Erick couldn't decide. She looked at least as old as the one called Katherine, but something didn't quite fit. Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief of that of a normal child his age, six, yet her appearance, of fringed blonde hair and curved body, said differently. Was she an angel as well? The gypsies often said angels sometimes appeared to people, people in trouble or the damned and in need of redemption.

The angel Katherine tried to call him over again but he backed away, frightened of the possibility of the supernatural. The angel Charlotte looked at him as he tried to squeeze as far into the shadows as he could, that he noticed something strange. His own ugliness had made the faults of other's visible to him, even the smallest imperfection, and it was by this ability that he saw her left eye wasn't actually as straight as it should have been.

This gave the child pause.

A deformed angel? Had she fallen? He moved forward, almost without thinking. Erik stopped short of the bars, looking at her.

It was then that something inside his head clicked. If Katherine was friends with this only just noticeable deformed angel, then she really did mean well. She slowly put her arms through the gaps in the bars. His first instinct was to back away from the contract but instead snuggled closer to the metal bars and her arms were around him, giving him a cuddle for the first time in his life.

He was so engrossed in the hug that he didn't see Charlotte gently removing the course sack from his head until he felt the wind against his sensitive left side. His eyes widened in shock, his hands quickly rising to cover it and bowing his head to hide it more.

"Hey," she whispered, catching his hands, "Its okay Erik."

He wanted to cry, to say it wasn't, that he was ugly and the pretty lady shouldn't have to look at him- but he knew crying only led to beatings. He looked up slowly, shaking slightly in fear and shame, but shocked to see her arms, like Katherine's, inside the cage and gently stroking the deformed side of his face, like a mother would. Eric smiled for what felt like the first time in his life at the contact.

"Alright- you two, we've got to get going. We were meant to land in Paris 1918," a new voice, a man's, interrupted his dreamy moment. A tall figure, wearing a long brown coat, regarded the small boy. His brown eyes shone with pity for him as his messy brown hair and coat blew in the breeze, giving a most ethereal appearance.

"Doctor, could we please take him with us?" Katherine asked, giving him her famous puppy dog eyes.

"We can't," the man known as the Doctor replied, his voice full of regret, "You know what happens to him. Maybe I'll let you pick him back up then."

"Really?" Katherine asked. "Yes, really," was his reply. Erik felt his heart sink as Katherine turned, giving him one last hug. He clung to her, thinking if he held on long enough, she wouldn't have to leave. This was the hope a small child, warm in the arms of someone kind. She sighed sadly and squeezed him tight, but gently pulled out of his tight grip. Leaning close, she whispered "I'll see you soon," and gently put the sack back over his head, "Don't give up hope."

He nodded and watched with a heavy heart as she disappeared from sight around the corner, followed by Charlotte, and before he stop himself, he let the tears fall.

* * *

B/N: Wow… that so _painful_ to go through- so much bad grammar… and repetition… and bad grammar… X.X

BUT IT'S FIXED NOW!!! And a bit longer. Rejoice, and lean to one side!

-And continue reading! Yes, do that too! It gets better as the story wears on! Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye!


	2. Not Quite Narnia

Disclaimer- I don't own Doctor Who or Phantom of the Opera, if I did then… Well… well I won't go into what would have happened its waaaaay too long.

* * *

Another tear slid down his cheek as he allowed his head to rest on the cold stoned floor, staring up at the ceiling of the cave he lived in.

"Christine," he whispered, holding back another sob. "Why couldn't you love me?"

He sighed whilst curling into a tight ball, trying to ignore the noise of the police officers who were nearing every second to the Opera House and more importantly, the pain and loss of his dear student.

"Or if not you, someone love me…," he whispered, not even feeling the sudden gust of wind which should have been impossible in this underground lair as the lonely ghost made his wish. It wasn't till a voice pitched over the sound of the oncoming cavalry that he realized he had company.

"Damn, she left already. And there I was hoping to give her a piece of my mind!"

The Phantom sat up in shock, covering his face out of reflex, and glared impressively at whoever dared to disturb him from his grief. He had not, however, expected a lady. Not even one of the showgirls, but a young blonde he'd ever seen before. And yet, something was vaguely familiar…

"_Mademoiselle_?" he gasped in complete confusion.

"Right you," she turned pointing at him, "We need to sort a few things out."

He stared dumbly at her, for this was the first time in his life had he ever been addressed in such a manner and, stranger or not, no one bossed the Opera Ghost about; but was interrupted when she shouted out again, not even directed at him.

"KATHERINE, GET YOUR SKINNY BUTT OUT HERE NOW! _SOMEONE_ NEEDS YOUR COMPANY!"

"Alright, ge-eessh, bring the police running faster Charlotte you idiot," a new girl's voice grumbled. It sounded so familiar, like a long-forgotten song, half-remembered through muddled dreams and foggy memories. As Erik tried to place the speaker- he had never forgotten a voice- the unknown speaker come into view.

It was her.

His Angel…

His heart nearly stopped as flashbacks to his past began in rapid-fire. To just before he'd escaped from that awful fair. He thought he'd dreamt it all, the angel with shoulder length brown hair, flowing gently around her face, and her bright blue eyes shining, with kind words just for him. Just a midsummer's dream…

But here she was, kneeling beside him, looking not even a day older than when he'd last seen her and smiling gently at him. "Missed you," was all he heard of her before she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him into another hug, like the one they shared so many years ago, gently pulling up to stand on his feet. He must have fallen to his knees in shock at some point, Eric thought in some part of him that wasn't totally in awe. Like a child. But that didn't matter, not really… How, how was she here? That was what he wished to know. Had he died? Was that the reason for this beautiful apparition? Was she here to led him away?- to heaven or hell, he truly did not know nor care much as long it was she who led him.

Eric allowed himself to be turned and was shocked to see in front of him was a large, blue box inscribed with the words "Police- Public Call- Box". He started to question himself why he hadn't noticed it before and how it had gotten in his lair without him seeing anything, but decided it really didn't matter. He was dead- wasn't he?- and in the company of an angel.

As the angel Katherine took his hand, he walked forwards to face whatever the blue portal held but paused for a moment when he realized that the other angel, the first one, had disappeared. Should they wait?

"She'll be back, don't worry," Katherine assured him, as if reading his thoughts. Erik nodded and took a more steps before stopping again. "My mask." He couldn't face heaven without his mask.

"Its okay, you don't need it," was her smiling reply. She tugged him once more to the door of the strange blue box. The doors to the police box were opened and he quietly strode in.

"It's… it's-" he started, but was interrupted by another voice he recognized as well as two he didn't.

"Bigger on the inside," they finished.

Erik looked up and saw a clear column running straight down the middle of the room into an array of metal and wires, built like a great honeycomb. Behind the lip of the metal, the Doctor stood in front of the captain's chair. Erik inched closer to inspect the fantastical mechanism and stopped as his logical side caught up with him.

He was inside a police box with strange gadgets, the inside of which was way too big to have been inside at all.

He was standing in the presence of a man he didn't know but from a dream and an angel with out his mask… who couldn't be an angel because he wasn't dead.

Slowly he backed up, staring at Katherine and the Doctor, both who looked confused at this sudden change. Katherine moved as if she was about to comfort him but he shook his head dumbly and continued backing up towards the door…

But stopped when he stepped on something that was not there before and was definitely not metal grating. Not taking his eyes off the people in front of him, his hand brushed against something slightly bumpy and leathery that felt vaguely like a hand. It was warm too. He froze. The hand had claws.

"Ouch," a breathy, accented man- presumably the owner of the hand he was still holding- muttered. Erik dropped the hand and faced the stranger, making a hasty apology, "_Je suis très désolé- ce qui?!!_"

The man was wearing the strangest mask he had ever seen. It held but a single eye, which through some trick or device, appeared as real as his own. A bright blue iris was painted on the glass and the mask had no nose. Six thick, glossy tentacles hung like a rack of sausage around the neck. Erik stared in amazement. It was a most realistic demonic appearance. How envious the theatre would have been of this treasure!

"Excuse me _monsieur_, I am merely curious… how did you manage to come across such a fine mask?" he asked.

"Mask?" The stranger's eye narrowed in confusion. "What mask?"

The Phantom realised he had been horribly mistaken. This mask, this monstrous face- was real. He stood statue still in shock and fear.

"He just called you 'sir' Sec," Katherine's voice came from behind him as he saw a look of understanding spread across the stranger's face.

"I see. But it was not Earth English," the stranger at last spoke.

"It's French Sec," a new girl added in before Erik could respond. A dark-skinned woman in a red jerkin smiled at him. "Hello, 'm Martha," she said politely. "Sec isn't exactly human."

"If he's not human then what is he, _mademoiselle_?" he asked. He feared it was a demon.

"I am a human-Dalek hybrid."

"He's not from this world," Martha tried to clarify seeing the blank look in Erik's eyes. "He's from a different star," she tried again.

"Well, if you'd excuse _Monsieur_ Sec, I would very much like to go back to the underground caverns of the Opera House," he said and frowned when the 'hybrid' didn't move.

"Uggh, yeah, about that," the Doctor's voice started and he turned to look at him. "We're in flight at the moment, we'll be picking Charlotte when we land, and hopefully by then she's sent the police on their way and explained everything to the Opera Managers." He continued in a pleasant conversational tone, fiddling with the mechanisms of the column," You're taking this surprisingly well for a late nineteenth-century Frenchman, you know. Most people run screaming back out the door at this point… Nostradamus for example…"

The Phantom said nothing but nodded politely. He rather thought he was in some kind of shock, which would be quite understandable under the circumstances. Maybe a few questions would help to clear his confusion… The room pitched violently, like a ship at sea, and he nearly lost his balance, only staying upright by grabbing a- something, he didn't know what it was, but it was squishy and well suited to gripping. The sudden change in position tore a surprised yelp from his throat. The room rightened itself almost as quick as it had changed and Erik sent a hopeless, pleading look at Katherine to explain. "Umm… that happens sometimes. You'll get used to it…"

The Doctor smiled sheepishly, embarrassed perhaps by the rough transition. "Sorry about that!" he said. "Sec, while you're at the door," (_over_ the door might be a better description as the alien hadn't been fortunate enough to grab something in time) "would you mind letting her in?"

Erik watched, still somewhat dazed by the man-who-wasn't-a-man, as the blonde bounded in and exchanged greetings with Sec. Katherine gave his sleeve a gentle tug.

"Come on, let's get you to your room so you can have some time to think about things." He nodded and once again allowed himself to be dragged along, past the Doctor and down a long corridor with doors on either side. After a while she stopped, that a plain white, wooden door with black latch, and he stared into the room in which he realized was to be his own quarters.

"Thank you _mademoiselle,_" he whispered about to step inside the room for a closer look, but Katherine leaned up and gave him a quick, gentle kiss on his deformed cheek before he could turn. He stood in shock and touched his cheek where the butterfly kiss tingled.

"Welcome to the TARDIS, Time And Relative Dimension In Space." She blushed slightly and with that, turned and walked away. Erik felt his cheeks start to burn as well and, for what he felt was the second time in his life, he smiled a true smile.

* * *

B/N: _Molto bene_, eh? You are so lucky I didn't slip a few Gargoyles jokes in there while I was fixing… ;)


	3. Mistletoe

A/N: Hehe couldn't resist. Any way we all know the disclaimer and what would happen though if I did own Phantom of the Opera and Doctor Who, so I won't go into it.

"So how you enjoying life in the TARDIS so far?" A girl's voice asked. The sound of an organ playing stopped gently. The musician looked behind him and Katherine smiled as she noticed the small smile on his perfect face.

"I have to admit, it's the first place I can call home in a while," was his reply. She moved to sit next to the man at the organ.

"Play 'Music of the Night', Erik, please," she asked with a begging puppy look in her eyes. "For me?" A teasing sprinkle lit up her face.

"Very well _Mademoiselle_," Erik sighed, but inside he smiled at the woman next to him.

He'd been in the TARDIS for near month and had settled in perfectly. To his delight he'd found out that there were things in the universe which, in his opinion, looked far more hideous than him and some even had a far worse reputation as murderers. Smiling slightly so that Katherine wouldn't see, he let his fingers strum over the organ's keyboard, churning out melodies. He was so immersed in the music, he startled when Katherine rested her head on his shoulder.

"_Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation- darkness stirs and wakes imagination…_" a new voice sang, adding to the music in the air. Charlotte waltzed through the doorway, dancing to the tune with rather bad ballet steps.

"I told you she'd be in as soon as you started playing," Katherine whispered to him, laughing as her friend fell over in mid-twirl. Erik chuckled quietly, still playing the haunting melody while he looked at the blushing girl.

"Don't laugh! I took dancing lessons for a while- though not in ballet as you can see," Charlotte mumbled a little sheepishly at the end.

"What is ballet?"

Katherine looked to the doorway and shook her head. "Honestly Sec. I thought you'd been studying about Earth?" she enquired raising her eyebrow at the alien in the doorway.

"I am, but I didn't think dancing was the top priority," he replied, looking a little put out. Erik glanced over to the alien, even after a month, still amazed by how different, yet similar his face was in so many ways.

"Come on Sec, let's leave the lo-" Charlotte started but was interrupted by her phone going off. "Oh!- wonder who'd be texting me now?" she muttered, completely enthralled with her mobile and forgetting all pervious conversation. Erik smiled slightly as he watched both the blonde haired girl leave the room, twiddling her thumbs on the electronic device, followed by the bemused alien.

"Who do you think it is?" he asked Katherine, whilst allowing his fingers to continue across the keyboard gently filling the room with the quiet melody of 'Music of the Night'.

"Well there are a few of us," she answered, "there's Eleanor, Sam, Rose, Holly…" she listed off.

"So who are all these people then _Mademoiselle_?" he asked allowing the small smile to form across his face. "Sisters perhaps?"

"Oh no- just our friends from guides," she smiled sheepishly, realizing she'd been ranting of random names which meant nothing to him. On impulse she hugged him. "I…" Erik started not sure of what to say "I think Charlotte was calling you"

Katherine quickly let go before looking to the door with a confused look on her face before jogging out of the room calling for her friend and Erik sighed. He loved the feel of her touching him, yet at the same time he hated it because he was not used to people touching him without fear. He was about to continue playing when Katherine came storming back in. "She wasn't calling but we have found a new place to land," she said giving him a little bit of a glare (obviously a bit hurt for being sent off), "somewhere Christmassy seeing as she keeps a calendar to remind her of days roughly, though why she does I don't know…" Katherine was starting to ramble.

"Very well _Mademoiselle,_" he said, steaming the flow of babble, standing up and offering his arm for her in a gentlemanly fashion, which she took. They walked out into the main control room to find Martha, Sec and the Doctor already there

"So glad you could join us, Erik," the Doctor smiled at they and he returned with a twitch of his mouth. "Sec, would you do the honors of opening the door, seeing as you've never experienced Christmas?"

Erik watched as Sec opened it the door, jumping slightly when the older man fell back with a surprised yelp from strong, cold gust of wind. Seeing the alien struggle he rushed over quickly shutting the door and nodded when Sec thanked him for his help.

"So much for that trip then," the Doctor said deflated at the ruined trip, "but I swear it was the Christmas market of Leal." His bouncy attitude had returned at the end of the sentence. "Ah, well- guess it's into the TARDIS living room where I'm sure you may have noticed the decorations." The Doctor grinned and laughed at the puzzled expression on Katherine and Charlotte and at Sec, who had a mixed expression.

Katherine glanced over at Charlotte to ask if she knew anything about the decorations. She had that look in her eye… "What are you up to?" she hissed giving her friend a mock glare, walking half a step behind with her.

"Nothing" was Charlotte's innocent reply, "Well, maybe something… you'll see soon enough…" she said with a grin. Katherine growled at the brush-off, but sighed, trusting her friend not to do something terrible. "Charlotte…" she growled, noticing the piece of mistletoe hanging over the open fire in the living room. Her friend had gone on ahead and she was talking to thin air.

Erik laughed quietly, as he watched Katherine muttering to herself and patted the seat next to him. She flung herself on the cushion, sighing.

"So," the Doctor started with a mock-stern tone, "which one out of you lot did this?" He pointed to the mistletoe above the fireplace, then glanced at Katherine and Charlotte.

"That wasn't me this time!" Katherine grumbled from the sofa, glaring at her friend.

"Nope," Charlotte said happily, popping the 'p' in a manner reminiscent of the Doctor, "that was Eleanor, Rose, and I who did that."

Erik frowned in confusion. "There are more of you?" he asked, glancing at Katherine.

"Yes, there are," the Doctor butted in, "but you'll meet them another time. For now let's get on with eating these mince pies." He licked his lips in anticipation.

Martha rolled her eyes at him and was about to take a bite from hers when Sec nudged her. "What is that mistletoe?" he whispered not wanting the others to hear about his lack of knowledge. Unfortunately for him, Charlotte had better hearing than he gave her credit for.

"Mistletoe is a special plant used for Christmas," Charlotte whispered back, "but rather than explain what happens- Martha, why don't you show him?" Martha gave Charlotte a withering look.

"Alright, Sec close your eye," she instructed. The human Dalek hybrid did as he was told, and she planted a chaste kiss on his lips. "You can open your eye again Sec," she whispered to him laughing. Moving back Martha smiled and giggled at Sec's bright red face, blushing all the redder underneath the gaze of the eyes of everyone in the room.

"That was soooo sweet," Charlotte cooed first and laughed when Katherine rolled her eyes, "Erik, your turn now!" Erik turned to the girl with a slightly worried expression on his face as well as one clearly asking if she was serious. "Go on Kat what you waiting for?" she asked, ignoring the stare from the former Phantom.

"Well, I-" she started but then sighed. "Fine. Erik; here, please"

Erik, to his panic found himself obeying her and moved in closer and whilst shaking, met her lips in a gentle kiss. He sat there wanting it to last forever but to his dismay he found that Katherine pulled away rather quickly and he felt a little disappointed, his hand instantly reaching up to his face to cover it, glad to find that he'd put his mask on that day.

"Aww no," a gentle voice whispered from beside him and he turned to see Katherine leaning over to him, "It wasn't you- 'twas me." He blushed, a deeper shade of red than Sec when she removed his mask and kissed him on the deformed cheek before placing the mask back on.

Charlotte smiled at her matchmaking. Her phone buzzed from inside her pocket, and she sighed, quietly exiting the room so as not to disturb the atmosphere, unaware of the Doctor's eyes following her with a frown on his face.

Katherine rolled her eyes before turning back to Erik, "I do wish she'd tell me who she keeps on talking to with that phone of hers" she whispered.

"Does it really matter _Mademoiselle?_" Erik whispered back and wrapped his arm around her as she snuggled closer to him, both ignoring Martha as she started a round of Christmas songs.

A/N: Yes this is a Christmas special but then I though 'nagh, why not add it into the story?' so yes there is meant to be that cliffhanger of who is Charlotte talking to and how did Sec get to be with the Doctor etc. Enjoy! Oh and sorry for any spelling mistakes, there is a market in France I went to and it was really pretty but what annoyed me the most was I only bought one item :s and it wasn't even for me. Merry Christmas everyone and have a Happy New Year if I don't get on before.

B/N: I think it's the caterers. laughs Ah, you lot probably wont get that one…

Anyhow, I'm Mad-Hatter-LCarol, you may recognize from me DevArt or even here (although that's bloody unlikely- I haven't updated here since December and nothing in this category) I'll be your Beta for the duration of this tale, and maybe more of Lev's tales if she likes my proof-reading work. grins I also provide snappy dialogue occasion.

Tea with your insanity?


	4. Doctor!

A/N: Thought I'd continue for the New Year that and I well promised my friend I'd try and get a new chapter out for within the next few days

"And now for the New Year's!" Kat belted out making the human Dalek jump.

"New Year?" Sec asked frowning, "Not more Earth traditions?"

"'Fraid so," Kat's blonde friend answered and the Dalek sighed. "I can't keep up with all these Earth celebrations!" Sec moaned sitting down in the TARDIS living room whilst glancing from Erik and Katherine who were now sitting next to each other.

"How did you meet the Doctor, _Mademoiselle_?" Erik asked, and sent a little smirk in Sec's direction earning a half smile in return.

"Uggh-" Katherine glanced at her friend, "Charlotte's fault!"

"Obviously!" a new voice agreed and the Doctor walked in, "She popped up out of nowhere, scared the life out of me."

"Not my fault" Charlotte muttered, sliding down in her seat. She shuddered at the memory of waking up suddenly in the TARDIS wardrobe, covered only in a sort of fur coat from the future.

"So how did you end up there? Didn't you say that nothing can enter the TARDIS from the outside unless it's through the front door?" Martha asked, giving the Doctor a quizzical look.

"Well-" the doctor started but was cut off by Katherine.

"We'll tell the story because it was of our kind that we met you" she growled and then shuddered "what happened was…"

_flashback_

The rain poured down as the coach pulled to a stop in the middle of the wet, muddy field. The doors remained closed, drowning out the sound of the rain as the group of teenage girls gathered their small backpacks and waterproofs, ready for the first day of Guide camp to begin, starting with the unloading of supplies and tents.

The first one to notice that their Captain (looking slightly tired after having just recovered from an operation due to cancer) was beginning to speak was Eleanor. Being the only level headed one in their group, other than Rose, she nudged her two friends, trying to get them to quiet down from their fantasy discussion about a " Phantom of the Opera" and " Doctor Who cross over". This was only half successful as Katherine continued to whisper and Charlotte, though paying attention nodded every so often.

"Katherine! Charlotte!" their Captain snapped at the girls, who jumped at the sound. Eleanor shook her head then poked both in their side and smirked. "Yeah, you two," she hissed, laughing quietly, then listened to what her troop leader was saying, as well as ignoring the tongue Charlotte stuck out at her.

"Now it's wet out there so I want to see every single one of you in waterproofs," the Captain shouted out, knowing that at least one of them would ignore the warning and the instruction. "Mind the step as you get off the bus as well, it's a bit slippery." The girls gathered up their packs and rain-jackets, whilst filling the coach with three-hundred different types conversations. Filing off of the coach one by one, the girls started to form a line, each grabbing a tent bag from the pile under the tarp.

"Curse these old things," Katherine hissed under her breathe picking up one end of a tent bag while Eleanor grabbed another end. "They're heavy and the handle's either in a weird place or there isn't one at all!"

"They're not heavy," a gruff voice replied and Katherine turned to see a rather chubby girl with brown frizzy hair and a face which reminded her of a bull dog giving her an evil look. "You're just weak."

Katherine opened her mouth to say something but the other girl walked off before she could. Katherine took note that all she was carrying was some water buckets. "Weak!" Katherine hissed then turned to her friends who had gathered around her before continuing in a quick loud, angry voice. "I'm weak! She was carrying buckets where as I was carrying a whole tent myself, how dare she, who was that girl anyway!" She stamped her foot as Rose and Charlotte shrugged.

"I think that was Lindsey, she's new," Eleanor's voice said calmly but with a hint of dislike from behind them, carrying a clothes rack, trying to keep her balance on the muddy surface.

"Well, if she keeps up with that attitude," Charlotte muttered, "she's going to find herself becoming an outcast."

Katherine, Eleanor and Rose nodded as they watched some of the older girls start arguing with the one called 'Lindsey' as they tried to finish off putting the kitchen tent together before the rain started up again.

"You four couldn't give me a hand sorting out the toilets before we do anything else could you?"

All four girls turned to see one of the councilors. There were two helpers for their guides. One was Carroll, always smiling and joining in the fun, only scolding them when they were doing something either very dangerous or very naughty. Jackie on the other hand, though kind as she was, tended to watch over the girl pack with the eyes of a hawk. With her slim frame and bony cheeks, she looked the part

"Of course," Eleanor nodded and so did the others, including Katherine though not without a grimace on her face. All four followed the older woman towards a small building containing two washbasins in a cubical each, a shower, and some toilet cubicles. No one noticed the blue police box on the other side of the hedge, which separated the field into different sections. Nor did anyone take much notice as two people exited it, dressed as if they were planning to return a few hours later.

A/N: Ok, Kat, when you read this I know when we were on this guide camp at Backlands it was in 2005. When we knew nothing of 'The Cult of Skaro' nor of our 

beloved Phantom but well I did it so that we did otherwise it'd be a bit of a hassle trying to explain how we know what we know now. So instead of having to try and think of a reason for him to pick us up in the year of 2008, I'm pretending that is what year it is, etc. and what not.


	5. Guided By A Guide

Hehe couldn't resist

A/N: Was really meant to be doing work in class, adding sounds to some pictures to create a small animation but ssssh .

B/N: UGGH. FF's being annoying again… lines aren't working! How rude of them

Disclaimer: Do I have to put it in?? A: I think we get the picture and B: I might just go into my random rant about how if I did own everything not only would I be rich but what I'd change about it to ;)

"So, where are we?" an excited voice called out, while its owner turned and sighed in annoyance, "Come on Doctor!"

"Just wait Miss Tyler," a different voice answered, with a heavy northern accent, "I'm still landing the TARDIS." A heavy thud sounded their arrival. "Well, off you go," he said with smirk and made shooing motions to the door. Rose opened it to be met with a huge gust of wind and a few drops of rain, but still she left the warmth of the TARDIS' control room, followed by the Doctor.

"Hmm… must have got it wrong again," the Doctor muttered to himself, looking around, "Could have sworn there was going to be some people around."

Rose nodded and started walking towards a large break in the hedge, peeking around. Scrunching her face up at the sight, she continued forward. To her left were four- make that five tents lined up in a row, each with at least one to two girls at each one. A large tent full of kitchen ware stood closest to her part of the hedge where more girls stood putting ingredients into large silver pots. To her right stood a building that she recognized as the toilets and showers for the campers in the field. In between the row of tents and the large kitchen one stood a marquee tent. Squinting through the rain, she noticed four girls standing around it, chatting. Two blondes and two brunettes, to be precise. Rose watched as they all laughed at something and wondered why she was watching them. This was not the epic space adventure she'd been promised; it wasn't even another planet. It was even the same century, she thought glumly. A bloody guide's camp. Shaking her head, she pulled her hoody closer to her as a large gust of wind swept over her.

"Doctor?" she called, glancing back for the familiar face. It wasn't there; only bleak landscape met her eyes. Somehow, he'd already wandered off. Figuring he'd end up eventually in the camp, Rose started walking forward, not even noticing the girl now walking past her. That was, until the bucket hit her sharply in the head, making her see stars.

"OH my…!" Rose's eyebrows knitted together in pain from the bucket imprint on her face. Through smarting eyes, she saw it was one the girls she'd been watching just a minute earlier. The shorter of the blondes by the looks of it. he girl's blue eyes, half-covered by a fringe, were wide in surprise- evidently she hadn't seen Rose until she hit her. Taking in the appearance of the girl, Rose noted her three-quarters lengths shirt, black with a silver flowery pattern down the left hand side. The base of the blue colored willies (with a white flower pattern) over them was coated in mud from walking across the field. "I'm so sorry," the girl stammered, grabbing the handle of the bucket tightly, "oh wait, towel… you need something to dry yourself with, come on."

Against her better judgment, Rose allowed herself to be led to into the nearby building and was startled when a towel was suddenly flung at her. Quickly, she dried her face and glared at the sheepish girl.

"Charlotte?" a voice called and Rose frowned in confusion as the girl's- Charlotte's?- face took on a look of panic. Outside Rose could hear more voices, one of them having a go at someone. "Tell that to my face!" a deep voice growled, and Rose was sure that if she hadn't of seen only girls around the area, she'd have mistaken it for a bloke's. "I did!" another snarled, this one absolutely a girl's voice.

Rose turned to say something to the bucket-girl, but was cut off. "Hide!" she hissed to Rose and she found herself being hastily shoved into a cubicle with a wash basin in. "Hey!" Rose shouted through a thin crack, rattled the handle. "What's that-!"

"Sorry!" the girl whispered, "but you have to be quiet!" She made shushing motions as the other girls who'd been standing by the Marquee came into the room.

Rose took that moment to take in their appearances. The other blonde was very tall and slim, and had a pretty face. The brunettes were both shorter than her, one on the bony side and the other was built more sturdily, but both were slim. The sturdier one had braces but she couldn't make out whether the other one did from this angle. Charlotte was busily conferencing with the girls, pointing to the loo door for emphasis a few times. Whatever she said, it was clear the others thought she was having them on. Tugging her hair in frustration, the blonde called out to Rose: "It's ok- you can come out now."

Opening the door, Rose glared at the girls as they- excluding bucket-girl- gasped. "It's Billy Piper!" one of the brown-haired ones said turning to Charlotte, "Wow…" Rose felt her frown deepen as all four girls started chattering away, whilst every so often glancing at her and repeating the name 'Billy'.

"Look-" she started and growled in annoyance when she was ignored, "Hello?" Still ignored, so deep in conversion were they. "I have to find the Doctor now…" Nothing. Taking in a deep breath, she decided to try one last time. "Excuse me, HELLO!!" She demanded with her hands on her hips.

All four girls jumped. "Sorry," the braced-brunette said sympathetically and Rose recognized it from the small argument she overheard earlier, "I'm Eleanor, and sorry about that… we were trying to decide on what to do with you."

"Do with me?" Rose asked angrily. She was not a thing!

"Yeah- you're a film star!" the as-yet-unnamed brunette shouted in awe.

"Film star?" Rose questioned, now staring at all four girls as if they were insane. "I'm not a film star," she snorted.

"Yes you are," Charlotte muttered, glancing at her friends before continuing quietly, "maybe that bucket hit her harder than I thought it did… I didn't mean too, OH MY GOD! I gave her amnesia!" she cried in alarm.

"You didn't do anything, except hit me over the head," Rose said, trying to be reassuring to the panicked girl. "My name isn't even Billy, it's Rose."

"This isn't good," Eleanor stated, glancing at her friends. "She thinks she's really Rose from 'Doctor Who'."

"STOP! Time-out!" Rose cut in, "I have no idea what you're on about- you're all crazy- I need to find the Doctor!" she said moving towards the cabin door.

Charlotte blocked her, "You can't go out there people will know who you are!"

"You really think I'm this film star," Rose said irritated, crossing her arms.

"Think, we know!" the mousey haired girl shouted but was instantly shushed by Eleanor. "We told Jackie and the others we'd check on her to make sure everything was ok after what happened," Eleanor hissed, "if they hear us making noise they'll come and check on us."

"They'll come check on us any way, we've been gone a long time," the tall blonde haired girl said quietly in a clam voice. "My name's Rose to by the way, I don't think we've been introduced yet," she added thoughtfully.

"Yes- well, been lovely meeting you lot-" Rose started again, pushing through the guides standing in front of her, "but I've got to get going!" She managed to wriggle out the doorway but was surrounded by the four girls again. "What?" she questioned, her patience completely zapped by this strange adventure, "I've got to find the Doctor and get him back to the TARDIS! Which, is over there!" she pointed. All four girls nearly fell over, spinning so fast to glimpse the blue police box only just visible through the hedge.

"How did we miss that…?"

"Do you think it could be?" Charlotte whispered, and Rose couldn't help but laugh at the hopefulness in her voice.

"It is, now if you'll excuse me," Rose stated, "I really do have to get going…"

"Wait." Rose turned around to stare at the group. "We'll help you find him!" Eleanor said, "Besides I don't think Charlotte would shut up if she missed a chance to see the TARDIS…"

Rose stared at all four of the girls- they were really serious- and then sighed in defeat. "Fine," she grumbled, "but no touching anything!" Sighing again, hoping the Doctor wouldn't mind the four new tagalongs, she started back towards the TARDIS followed eagerly by the girls.

Strolling along aside a field, the Doctor nattered on, oblivious to the fact his companion was no longer with him. Although by now, he ought to at least have earned a snide comment…

"You know Rose, you're being awfully quiet." Pausing. "And that usually means you've wondered off…" The Doctor glanced over his shoulder and sighed. "Fantastic."

"Seriously, one day I _will_ find someone who gets the 'don't run off' command." Shaking his head, he started backtracking. Or tried to. Somehow, he'd gotten turned around somewhere- did he pass that rock climbing hall? Maybe it was a good thing Rose wasn't here to tease him. His manly pride could only take so much of a beating after all. Peeking into the room, the Doctor frowned. Not a soul was in sight, not even an instructor. No one to give him directions. His shoes echoed slightly in the cavernous hall as he walked along the wall covered in footholds and hand grips. Spotting a back room, the Doctor headed towards it- there might be a map…

The Doctor stopped suddenly. This was a guide's camp- where were the girls? It was dead quiet… he should still be able to hear the sounds of camp from here. Or the animals in the wood, now that he thought about it.

"Too quiet," the Doctor muttered. "That's never a good sign." Maybe this would turn out to be a more exciting adventure than he'd thought.

A small buzzing drifted over from the back of the room, by the desk and spare equipment. Frowning, his eyebrows knitted together; he was sure he'd heard that noise before, but couldn't place it. Walking over to a small cabinet, he gave a drawer a good tug. It didn't budge. Which meant it was either stuck or locked, easily fixed in either case. Just need a small touch of jiggery-pokery…

Reaching into his pocket, the Time Lord pulled out a short stick and pointed it at the cabinet. With a comforting buzzing sound, the filling cabinet swung open and the Doctor stared in shock. All three drawers had swung open at once like a door. A door disguised as a cabinet. Now that _was_ interesting. He stared into a large cave like room that brought to mind old Scooby-Doo cartoons, accessible by a small flight of stairs starting at the cabinet entrance.

Turning around, the Doctor quickly made his way out of the room. He badly wanted continue exploring but he needed to find Rose. He'd learnt from past experiences that if anything bad was going to happen, Rose was usually smack-bang in the middle of it. Picking up the pace he failed to notice the pair of eyes which watched him go by. Eyes holding an evil glaze.

AN: Yes I know cliché cliff hanger but was running out of an idea on how to end this chapter. Sorry for slow update. Hope this chapter is ok. Thanks Mad-Hatter for the tips :) much appreciated (it's nice to have errors pointed out, means I can improve and edit them so the story flows better and is easier to read). Lev out! (Goes and annoys Caan with Thay, Sec and Katie Chui)

B/N: and the plot thickens… c'mon, Lev- updates! Soon! ((begs))


	6. Hello Beautiful

"WOW

"WOW!" was all Charlotte could say.

"It's- it's-" was all the small, unidentified brunette could stutter out before a large grin spread across her face and she started to run around the console, "ITS BI-!"

"Don't say it Kat!" Charlotte cried out, slapping a hand over Kat's mouth before she could finish.

"Yeah," Eleanor agreed, "everyone says it. Rose said it, Martha said it- The only one who didn't say it was Donna…"

"Who?" Rose asked. All these names were beginning to irritate her.

"Don't worry," Eleanor continued, both ignoring and answering Rose's question, "We should really be getting back."

"Buuuut-" Charlotte whined, "It's the TARDIS, we just can't leave!" The guide quad considered their options. On the one hand, they were in the TARDIS, the actual _TARDIS_ with Rose_ freaking TYLER- _the best companion _ever_, expect you know, Martha was actually quite good when you though about it (not the same as Rose but still brought her own thing to the show) and Donna seemed really funny so far so maybe Rose wasn't the _best _(per se) but she was still one the greatest companions in New Who… But on the other, oh so cruel, reality-heavy hand bent on destroying their dreams of sci-fi-y goodness-

"We have to, you know Jackie or someone will come looking for us," Rose piped up with the voice of doom after a few minutes of silence, causing looks of dismay on the girls. "And I've got to find the Doctor," she added (causing a bit of excitement to creep back into the girls; what good's a TARDIS without a Doctor, anyway?) before opening the TARIDS door and shooting, "All guides out!" With groans of reluctance (they still didn't want to leave in case it disappeared without them) the four girls filed out of the space ship.

"Would you mind coming to let our Captain know you're OK now, after I threw the bucket over you?" Charlotte asked, stamping her feet against the frosty chill. It was _cold_.

"Ya, sure," Rose muttered absently before turning serious, "But then I have ta find the Doctor!" The girls nodded, and assured her they'd help. All five walked on and Rose did her best to ignore the quiet chatter of the girls, who were speaking in whispers and glancing up at her quickly, critically, (_eyeing her like a piece of meat,_ she thought a bit paranoid_) _then ducking their heads back down for even faster whispers. It sounded like they were making plans for something… maybe she should listen, you know just in case-

"…We could ask the Doctor nicely, wonder what he looks like," Kat stated, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Well, it's either Christopher Eccleston or David Tenant; she was only in it for two series- remember?- from the beginning episode 'Rose' to 'Doomsday'," Charlotte replied, perhaps a bit louder then she meant to, considering Rose was walking beside her. The Tyler got a bad feeling that her last "episode" (if they were even real) ended in the word "Doomsday". That just didn't sound like it ended well at all…

"I'm still here you know," Rose growled, shaking off her thoughts, turning to glare at the girls for what felt like the 100th time. "Don't you know it's rude to speak about people like they're not even there?" the four looked properly ashamed at this (oh god, she was turning into her mother! Next thing she'd be slapping the Doctor even chance she got- although, considering, that didn't sound to bad right now) "And I've never been to guide camp and so I don't know whether or not you pack up in the morning, or what, but I think we're in the wrong field."

"No, we're-" Eleanor started but was cut off by Kat.

"Where the bloody hell is everyone?" The small brunette shouted pacing with (strophe? Stropy?) steps.

"I'm not sure but, hey, hey, guys!" Rose started, grabbing Kat's arm to stop her from pacing, "Has anyone noticed that it's too quiet?" Forming a standing circle (_they _weren't gonna yet eaten after someone said the infamous doom line) the others nodded.

"OK, have we taken a wrong turn?" Eleanor asked trying to remain logical about the situation, but still feeling a fluttery, nervous sensation in her belly.

"Must have," Rose agreed not wanting to let her imagination get away with her.

"They've- uggh, gone to the next activity?" Charlotte suggested weakly. Rose nodded. Something felt very wrong and to her that was usually the queue for trouble to come knocking.

"Why don't you lot go wait in the TARDIS and I'll go find the Doctor," she suggested, trying not to show how scared she was. Only this the start of every horror movie, a group of idiot girls lost in a strange wood… and it was getting dark…

"No! We'll miss out on alien butt whooping!" Charlotte and Katherine whined at the same time.

"But it's not _safe_," she continued, putting extra emphasis on the word 'safe', "and I can tell you'd all love to see the TARDIS again am I right?" she wheedled. Rose watched with hope as all four girls looked at each other before finally nodding.

"Fine." Charlotte spoke up first, "But- only because" (she didn't want to look scared) "it's the TARDIS" (the others rolled their eyes) "and the alien's defiantly not a Dal-"

Eleanor cut her off; "Yeesss," she hissed at Charlotte, as if chiding her for something. "It's not one of _those_. No," the older girl said firmly.

Rose found that even though the girls were pleasant enough, they were very strange (she first decided that when they started calling her a 'film star' and now it was confirmed). Cutting each other off seemed like there normal thing now... although it could just mean they were hiding something. In fact, Rose was almost sure they were. It had been plainly obvious Eleanor had not wanted her friend finishing whatever word she'd started.

"What was she about to say?" Rose questioned, curious to see if they'd avoid the subject. They half did, half didn't.

"I would tell you but it'd be spoilers," the other Rose explained, sounded sort of like she was quoting something, "But maybe later," she added cheerfully at the end. Rose found herself nodding. These girls were very open. Not so much Katherine, but the others didn't have much trouble in explaining everything to her. She'd only known them for a few hours but she already felt part of their group. She really, really hoped they turned out to be the good guys.

"So-" she finally butted back into the conversation which had continued whilst she'd been in La-La Land, "Tell me about me being a film star." It sounded like it must have been amazing to the former shop girl.

"Well," Charlotte stared up again "I don't think these guys would remember as I'm the oldest- but you were a singer before becoming an actress."

"Really?" Rose exclaimed, shock showing on her face, "though I still don't see how I can be an ex-singer and an actress all in one, it's amazing…"

"I don't know about you singing but you are an actress in a TV show called Doc-" Katherine butted up for the first time in a while but was cut off when a hand grabbed her.

"Oh my mate," a husky voice wheezed out and Rose watched horrified as the other three girls tried to get to their friend but were too held back. A set of hands grabbed her, holding onto her arms with an inhumanly grip. "Now that would be spoilers."

* * *

The Doctor stopped and glanced around. He'd been sure he'd heard Rose's voice and some others'. He's starting jogging towards it when the voices had simply gone. Almost as if someone had pressed the mute button on a CD player…

"ROSE!" he called out, continuing to glance around franticly. His gaze landed on the abseiling tower and he found his eyes drifting upwards. "Fantastic" he murmured as his eyes scrutinized the large metal bars covering the entire top of the tower, "How'd I miss that?"

Now he really felt glad Rose wasn't with him. It'd been embarrassing enough when she'd pointed out the London eye to him, and now he'd missed yet another transmitter. What was he, transmitter-blind? _Could_ you be transmitter-blind? He pondered it somewhere in a less used part of his brain. The part that really liked pinstripes.

"Fantastic," the Time Lord muttered to himself again, heading towards the abseiling tower. Walking around the perimeter, he stopped on the far side. Taking out his handy-dandy sonic screwdriver he unlocked the door's padlock and quickly climbed the ladder to the next level. Reaching the top, he glanced upwards holding the screwdriver to the nearest piece of metal and frowning as it beeped whilst scanning.

"Odd," he muttered as a small dome-like piece broke off the ceiling, falling to the floor right by his feet, "for some reason, my sonic screwdriver doesn't like what you're made of." Picking up the scrap off of the floor, he climbed back down and headed back to the TARDIS. All the while he glanced about frowning. The silence was begging to get to him now. Breaking into a run, he was glad to find that it wasn't that far back to the TARDIS. Placing the key in the lock he opened the door.

"Rose?" he called out and was greeted with silence. "Hello?"

"Rose!" he shouted out one last time and frowned when a stifled cry of shock greeted his ears. Placing the chunk of metal on the control panel, he headed deeper into the TARDIS, all the while calling his companion's name.

"…In here!" a voice answered him after a while and his frown deepened. That wasn't Rose's voice. Opening the door to the wardrobe, he looked for the owner of the strange voice. The Doctor soon found it when his gaze fell upon a large pile of fur-like material had been moved aside where it'd fallen on top of something. He spotted a blonde girl climbing over the top of the pile trying to free herself from the fallen fabric.

"What?" was all he managed to stumble out as the girl turned and stared open mouthed at him.

* * *

A/N: And we have an update. If anyone asks I Was doing my course work and my FMP which needs to be finished by the end of this week, meaning tomorrow :S. I hope I also got some of the facts right especially the bit about the transmitter. Also sorry if the description is bad.

B/N: And now that lovely Lev has updated, I get something to do, Whoo! (Much less mistakes in this chapter, great job on that!) Though, I should get working on those drawings I said I'd do… and I will… Well, catch ya later!

Oh! And because Lev is lazy (or forgetful. Or both), I better remind you lot- REVIEW! Tell us- _stuff_ about the story!


	7. Spoilers

Disclaimer: Do I need to put this on every chapter

Disclaimer: Do I need to put this on every chapter?

_Previously on 'Don't Give Up'_

_"…In here!" a voice answered him after a while and his frown deepened. That wasn't Rose's voice. Opening the door to the wardrobe, he looked for the owner of the strange voice. The Doctor soon found it when his gaze fell upon a large pile of fur-like material had been moved aside where it'd fallen on top of something. He spotted a blonde girl climbing over the top of the pile trying to free herself from the fallen fabric. _

_"What?" was all he managed to stumble out as the girl turned and stared open mouthed at him._

* * *

Rushing forward, the Doctor managed to catch the girl before fell face-first on to the ground. She continued to look at him with something akin to a surprised goldfish. The Time Lord set her down gently, though not without a cocked and calculating brow. Not everyday you found a human starkers in the wardrobe... let alone his. As if reading his questioning mind, the girl quickly snatched up the coat for modesty's sake, blushing furiously.

Taking the sonic screwdriver, he stood and slowly walked around her pointing it at different parts of her body, ignoring the uncomfortable glances he kept on getting. He was not being a pervert; she was perfectly decent even if she wasn't technically dressed!

"Hmmm…" Strange. The blonde's eyes widened. "There's nothing unusual about you. Not powerful, not strong and _de_finitely human. Nothing." Did she look disappointed? He knew he was. Coming back to her face, he kneeled down front of her, resting on the balls of his feet.

"No one can get into the TARDIS without a key," he said quite seriously. "Not even me. So I'm going to ask you this once, and because I've had a very difficult day, I want you to _think_ very hard before you answer me- how'd you get in?"

"I don't know! I- Just minute ago I was with- ohmygod, Rose!" the blonde panicked, jumping up as if to run to the door, "I don't know how I got in here, but Rose and the others were captured! Back at the camp! I managed to make a run for it but then I was shot and-" She stopped and pulled a face as she remembered and mumbled, "Spoilers."

"Spoilers?" the Doctor asked gazing once more at the girl, this time in confusion. "Now you're going to listen here, my companion has disappeared and I need to find her! Have you ever _met_ her mother? She'd kill me if I lost Rose! Now TELL ME!"

"I _can't_ tell you!" she said nearly in tears. "It's your future- the universe will explode or something equally bad!"

"Fan_tast_ic. Of all the stupid apes on the planet I get only one who knows but won't say..."

The guide stared at the Doctor, shocked by his outburst and rudeness, and frowned, feeling one of her own coming forth. "I know you want Rose back but you shouldn't have wondered off! She was right behind you, but you went right on ahead! You always have a moan when your partners wonder off but it never occurs to you that you do the same thing sometimes! _Where _do you think they get it from?"

He wasn't listening. The Doctor was already taking striding back the counsel room, muttering under his breath about apes and time-space. Pulling the fur coat a bit more securely around her shoulders, the blonde scurried after him, trying not to get lost in the maze at was the TARDIS corridor. The Time-Lord had three steps to every one of hers, so he reached the controls far before she did. Flipping switches seemingly at random, he stared at the laptop-like screen mounted on the console. He pulled a few buttons, and looked at it again with a pained expression.

He paused, and glanced at where the teen was standing before gesturing to the door. "Go on, make yourself useful- check what's outside. If you got in, who knows what else could?"

Charlotte nodded, knowing better than to question the Doctor when he was in a mood and pulled open the door. "We're-" she started, "in space?" Was that _Jupiter?! _Charlotte blinked and turned to the Doctor. "How we in space?"

"This is a-" the Doctor started but was cut off by her again.

"Yes, I know what the TARDIS is! Just I'd have thought I'd have heard the sound of the engines when it started to move," she snapped, not wanting to seem dumb in front of the Time Lord.

"Sorry," the Doctor replied automatically, then frowned. "But you're right. I didn't do anything did I, girl?" he asked the TARDIS. The guide moved to look at the monitor. "Shut the door behind you," he snapped.

"Right… sorry." He took this as an opening to launch a series of rapid-fire questions at the guide.

"Do you have any idea where Rose and the others could have been taken? The person who took them, what did they look like?- Did you know them?- what are their likes? Hates? Favorite ice-cream flavor? Are you in on it? You seem to know too much not to be suspicious and you know how to get into my ship-"

"Stop, Stop! You're going way too fast!" she interrupted. "No… I don't know, it was getting dark…" the guide answered, mentally slowing down the questions. "We were on the fields, near the cave when- when they came at us- they were really strong! But they looked… human…" Her expression darkened, "It sounded almost like… like that awful Lindsey-"

The human stopped short at where her thoughts had gone, "She hated my friend Katherine! She was always picking on her and calling her names, and she was just nasty..."

"Are you sure it was this girl? This Lindsey?" the Doctor demanded. "It must be!" the guide voiced.

"If that's true- I'm guessing its revenge is the aim of the game here. Though I'm still not sure where you fit into this and if you know me as much as you make out to do, you should know I hate not knowing."

A small grin confirmed this, "Can't leave anything alone, you." A small shudder ran through the room, causing the girl to grab the panel for support. The Doctor as he ran around the console, pulling levers and pushing knobs and only nodded with a small grin of his own.

"The rock climbing room, that's where that cave was," the Doctor said, pulling a finial lever. "Ready to travel through time and space? So long as you don't tell Rose I've messed up twice today," he winked.

"Been waitin' my whole life for it," she grinned, feeling the adrenaline pulsing through her. Wait 'till she told Eleanor, Kat, and Rose she had traveled with the Doctor- and in the TARDIS too!

"Christopher Eccleston, you're fantastic," she whispered to herself grabbing a hold of the railing to stop herself from falling as the TARDIS lurched into life and that wonderful grinding 'vworp-vworp' tingled down to her spine.

"Sorry about that," the Doctor said, calmly running around, tapping more parts of the console with the hammer, "It's just this ship is-"

"Designed to be flown by six people," the guide finished, "I know." She was deliriously happy right now.

"I was going to say 'difficult sometimes'," the Doctor looked at her with the intense brooding gaze he was famous for. "How do you know so much about me anyways? And my ship?" His face bordered on thunderous… with that hammer in hand, she almost expected him to smite her on the spot.

"What? Everyo- Is it important?" the girl said a bit too quickly. "We've got _your_ Companion and _my_ mates to save!"

"True."

Charlotte squirmed uncomfortably under his stare. "True…" And just like that, the storm cleared. For the moment. She knew with absolute certainty she wasn't in the clear yet- he wouldn't stop worrying away at it- and she couldn't very well _lie_ to him. "But I'll tell you one thing, Miss Abercrombie, that's twice my technology has done something strange. What's going on girl?" Patting the TARDIS, he turned back to Charlotte. The goofy lopsided grin appeared again.

"So come on then, if you're not giving anything away, you could at least tell me your name."

"Charlotte," she grinned sticking her hand out in front of him, "Pleased to finally meet you, Doctor."

* * *

Rose groaned.

This was seriously not her day… First the bucket and now this, whatever this was; all she knew was that her head was _killing_ her. What she wouldn't give for some aspirin right about now… Pulling at her arms, Rose wasn't really surprised to learn at she'd been tied hands-behind her back. An experimental tug of her foot proved her legs were also bound together, most likely at the ankle. (Curse those guides and their unnaturally firm knots.) Painfully, Rose cracked open her eyes, expecting the bright light of a late afternoon sun. Instead, only a dim light shone from somewhere above- a ceiling maybe? The dancing spots in her vision made it hard to tell. While this new lighting was good news for her growing headache, the darkness worryingly meant either she'd been out far longer than she thought (which was quite possible) or that they'd been dragged somewhere else, into the thing's lair (which was also quite the scary idea). The cool stone and damp moss beneath Rose's fingertips leaned to this second theory, though she hoped she was wrong. At least in the field they stood a chance; in the den of the beast… they didn't have a prayer.

Blinking and shaking her head to clear her vision, she turned to see Eleanor and the other Rose beside her, both in various states of grogginess. A small sense of relief washed over her seeing the two girls, even if they were in similar states of bondage. Rose couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible for the small group of guides following her around like lost puppies. Maybe the Doctor was right; she did seem to pick up strays where ever they went… but in times like these it wasn't always a good thing. A cold sense of dread knotted in her stomach and wiped away the small bit of joy in seeing the girls- two were missing. Panic coated her chest, making it hard to breathe. Katherine and Charlotte! Gone!

Glancing around, Rose quickly spotted Katherine against the opposite wall. She was still asleep, tied down to some sort of dentist chair without the big light attached. A large control panel stood on her right beside Katherine, covered in buttons and levers.

No Charlotte in sight. Rose combed the dim cave with her eyes- she could tell it was a cavern for sure – searching all the corners and shadows she could see. A figure moved out of the corner of her eye. Charlotte? Had she somehow gotten free? Rose stared, trying to make out the shape.

A girl, the same height as Katherine stood glaring angrily at them. She was short and squat, with the kind of long, thick dark hair that more properly belonged on a gorilla's backside than growing out of the top of her head and brows. While the girl was thickset and mean-looking, she didn't look overly threatening to Rose. Of course, Rose had faced much scarier stuff than a playground bully lately.

"Now listen," Rose started, not understanding the emotion behind the girl's eyes and trying to be sound kind and reasonable, "Whatever it is you've been promised, or they've threatened you with, don't do anything. Just don't. Trust me. Just tell where our friend is. That's all. Just tell me what you did with Charlotte and I swear we'll go easy on you." The girl only glared harder at this. "Please? I need to know what-"

"It's no good," the other Rose's voice cut through the silence, "that's Lindsey" she sneered, "You heard her back at the toilets arguing with Eleanor. No one likes her so she's most likely after some sort of revenge."

"Well, I can at least try!" Rose called back, turning around to look at the other blonde, "How's Eleanor doing?" she asked a bit quieter, but just as urgent.

"I'm doing fine," Eleanor answered, blinking and shaking her head like Rose had done, trying to wake up properly, "…but what's Lindsey doing here? And why are we done up like Christmas dinner…?"

"I don't know but it can't be good," the younger Rose answered darkly before turning her attention back to the chair where Katherine lay unconscious.

"You will follow and obey."

Rose turned to see the large girl now leaning over Katherine, sticking what appeared to be some sort of operating wires. The guide grinned when a loud yelp came from the free girl's direction.

"Good one Kat!" Eleanor called.

"What did she do?" the Time Traveler asked. Rose couldn't get as good an angle as the others on the table.

"She bit Lindsey on the nose!" the other Rose responded laughing "Good move."

"You bitch!" the free girl, known as Lindsey shrieked, "You will _pay_ for that!" Pulling away and rubbing her nose, she flipped a switch on the panel. "Now," she said evilly, facing the guide, "Say 'Oh my mate'!"

"Never!" Kat shouted, struggling to free herself.

Rose stared completely helpless as the words 'Oh my mate' rang in her ears. Closing her eyes, she concentrated, not even hearing Lindsey as she cried out-

"Not even the Bù-Shàn Láng can stop me!" Lindsey's voice rang out triumphantly.

Opening her eyes, she could feel two voices in the back of her mind; one screaming for her not to give in to what was trying to take over, the other voice repeating the phrase Lindsey had used earlier on and to follow. Rose frowned, what was she giving into…? Which one? Which one! Glancing back at the evil girl, her eyes widened. Behind her was what she could only assume to be the other girl guides and leaders of their camp. The entire groups' eyes were completely blank and every few seconds they would repeat Lindsey's phrase. Turning frantically to Eleanor, she shouted out over the noise of chanting zombies.

"When she said this during camp, how did you get her to shut up?!"

"Well, there were loads of ways!" Eleanor answered, turning to face Rose

"Pick one!"

"One was to pour dirty washing-up water over her head, followed by clean water-"

"Really?" Rose questioned (odd choice), and then frowned, "but that's not going to help us now! Anything else?"

"Told her to shut up and that's about it!" the other Rose added with a grim expression on her face. They were doomed to zombie-dom. The group could feel the chant pressing down on their minds- forcing its way in- you couldn't bear the wailing in your mind- it would be so easy to give in…

"No- wait!" Eleanor's head snapped back up.

"What? What is it?" Rose questioned urgently, "Anything something we can say or do?"

"Yeah," Eleanor replied, "Charlotte used to sing 'What Dreams are Made Of' when ever Lindsey got too annoying, and it made her go quiet! We sang other songs too, but that one worked the best!"

"Well then," Rose started a small grin of hope forming on her face despite the ever growing chant, "Let's get singing!"

* * *

A/N: Well here's another chapter. This is actually based on real events from a guide camp my friends and I went on about 3 years ago, guide camp of 05 (gaps, we're so old ;;). There was a girl there who was called Lindsey and who was mean to us, etc. She also started fights with all of us. No, she didn't suddenly start turning everyone into zombies, nor did the Doctor show up….but it would have been great if he did :D. Oh and Mad, Lev's not lazy about asking for reviews, just forgetful ;

B/N: Say what you like Lev, say what you like… ((winks)) Lev wants me to tell you lot the translation for what Lindsey said, but I think you're a clever bunch and can figure it out yourselves. Don't disappoint me! Anyways…

((fishes out a crumpled piece of paper from pocket))((smoothes creases out))((clears throat))-Ahem.

_**Look at the poor purple button down there,**_

_**Give him a click, to show that you care,**_

_**Please review, to tell what you think,**_

_**Was it worth the time and ink?**_


	8. Pop Idol

"It's not working!" Rose shouted over the sound of the other girls singing. She growled. Yes, someone up there obviously didn't like her and that someone was obviously laughing at her frustration.

"We can't give up!" Eleanor shouted back, desperation in her voice. "Let's try Guides by the Scouts."

"Try what?" Rose shouted again. Damn these girls. They sung such strange songs (what the hell was a bugaloo? And who was Charlie? And more importantly, why did some woman's cow wink her eye when she'd knocked over the lamp setting the entire barn on fire? She didn't even want to get started on how frogs being frozen in a freezer could be seen as animal cruelty…) and what was worse, she hadn't a clue how to join in, so she couldn't help. She did try and vocalise the worlds with 'lala' and 'aagh' as best as she could.

"Why don't we try a pop song instead?" the other Rose shouted back to Eleanor and the brunette nodded realizing that even if Rose Tyler wasn't the singer she was in her world, she would at least be able to join in better if she recognised the song.

"Know anything good, or have anything in particular planned?" Eleanor asked, glancing sideways first to her friend then to Rose who shook her head.

"Try that one Charlotte sang whilst washing up." All three girls turned to where Katherine lay; her eyes pinched closed trying to concentrate. "What Dreams Are Made of."

"Good idea Kat!" Eleanor yelled back over the chanting. "Ummm, anyone know how it goes?" She turned, sending desperate glances at both Roses only to get a half shrug and a shake of the head. "I think its, 'hey now, hey noooow, this is what dreams are made of…" Rose started, "but I can't remember the rest."

"Honestly, what am I going to do with you guys?" a new voice added in. It was Charlotte. There was only one way she could have found them and appeared so suddenly. Rose's heart skipped a beat. The Doctor must have been here somewhere. "It _goes_: Hey now, hey now- this is what dreeeams are made of… I've got- somewhere I belong, I've got- somebody to looove, this is what dreams are made of-"

"It's not working," Rose pointed out. This definitely wasn't her day. Oh, how she wished this day would soon end. It was bad enough constantly being called 'Billy' but singing to try and stop some psycho-girl with some stupid phrase was ridiculous. Where was the Doctor?

"Then try together!" Kat shouted. Rose didn't need to see the girl to know she was struggling to keep her mind clear of the chant. Rose had stopped trying to fight the chant, and yet she was still in control of her thoughts... What was with that? Guess whatever had been trying to fight back had finally won. The others had already started singing.

"Okay, you lot, enough with the musicals and chants." All the girls stopped singing and faced the Doctor as he stepped out of the TARDIS, which had just materialized in the centre of the cave. Nothing like a good entrance. No one stopped their noise, the girls not daring to lose their grip on their minds and the zombies unable to.

"I said," he stated calmly before shouting, "EVERYONE SHUT UP!"

The room fell silent; the only sound was quiet humming from the alien technology which was lined around the room.

"Better. Much better," he said dryly. "Now," the imposing man turned to Lindsey, "What is it you're planning and why?"

"Why should I tell you?" the girl glared daggers at the Doctor before her face twisted into disbelief and fear. "_Da xiang bao za shi de la du zi… _They warned me about you! No! No, no! I won't say one word to you at all!"

"Who's they?" the Doctor asked. "Tell me, because whatever it is they've promised you, whatever it is you are after, they won't grant it and it won't happen."

"I don't care," Lindsey hissed, complete hatred in her eyes. "So long as I have my revenge on them."

The Doctor's face twisted into confusion. "Revenge? What for?"

"They were always mean to me!" Lindsey cried, "They were always arguing with me, ignoring me, never including me- and besides I need to send them some more humans…"

"For the last time who are 'they?" The Doctor asked, completely ignoring the rest of her reason. Eleanor's voice piped out against the last part, "That's because you were rude to us! You picked fights with us and even Billy– I mean, Rose- could witness that, what did you expect us to do? If you'd had said 'please' or at least _'thank you'_ once then we wouldn't have been so harsh. I know the washing up water was a going too far but well, we were messing around and things got out of hand-"

"Okay, thank you," the Doctor cut her off abruptly, not wanting her to distract him from his plan. "Again, who are they?"

"And again, I'm not telling you! I've had enough talk! ATTACK THEM!" Lindsey shouted and every one gasped as the ominous chanting of 'oh my mate' sounded again and the zombified figures of the guide pack stepped forward.

"Well, this isn't how it was supposed to go," the Doctor grumbled, a little depressed by the turn of events, stepping back to avoid the guides.

"What do we do?" Charlotte cried out against the sudden raise in volume, holding her hands against her ears. "We tried out usual method of singing at her but it didn't work!"

"It did-" Katherine's voice sounded up, once again strained from trying desperately not to give into the chant, "…just not very much."

"Then, maybe, we need to increase our volume!" Eleanor shouted. "I mean it's hard trying to get our voices loud enough to be heard over the top of this lot when we're talking, yet alone singing."

"Fantastic!" the Doctor shouted back before reaching into his bottomless pocket and pulling out the sonic screwdriver and chucking it to Charlotte. "Setting 1089, quickly."

Charlotte fumbled clumsily with the sonic device and stuck out her tongue at her friends as they started sniggering at her lack of catching skills.

"Oh shut up" she grumbled, whilst images of her larger, ginger haired friend shot through her mind. "Where's Sam when you need her? 'I've got to go to Wales'," she mimicked, "Bad excuse for missing guide camp…" Charlotte groused.

Turning the nozzle at the end of the screwdriver, she pressed the button. Charlotte found herself suddenly sweating as the temperature of the cave soared up. A loud screeching sounded and the Doctor winced, grabbing the sonic screwdriver back.

"I said setting 1089, not 1088," he scolded before turning it to the correct setting.

Nothing was happening. No sound came from the sonic probe in the Doctor's hands, not even the usual whirring sound they were used to hearing. The Roses, Eleanor, and Charlotte all stared at him, slightly confused.

"Well, start singing," the Doctor said and all four females winced as his voice was echoed harshly across the cave. Every sound was magnified at least ten-fold. The chanting had risen almost plane-engine loud now.

Nodding, Charlotte glanced at her friends and started singing, as the guides eventually joined in. She sent them a silent thank-you. Singing in front of a large crowd was a weak point for her. Speeches she could do- so long as they were put together before the occasion. That was a doddle, speaking in front of ten people, even ten hundred… but singing, no, signing was a big 'no can do'. Even if it was singing she loved and not speaking. But singing to save to your life, well, that changed things. A little. It was with tightly clamped eyes and a shaking body she started:

"Hey now, _hey now_- this is what dreams are made of… Hey now, hey noooow, this is what dreams are made of-  
I've got, somewhere I be-long, I've got, somebody to lo-ve,  
This is what dreams are made of, this is what dreams are made of…"

It was so LOUD; she could feel her brains rattle in her skull. Serious worry about bursting eardrums- actual exploding eardrums- began to plague her thoughts but they couldn't stop-

"Have you ever wondered what life is about?  
You could search the world and never figure it out- You don't have sail the oceans no, no, nooo…  
Happiness is no mystery it's here and now you and me, yeah-"

"It's working!" Katherine shouted happily, her voice clear of the clawing mind-control but still hoarse from the screaming, "Could someone help untie me please!" She was ignored as the sound of near thirty bodies hitting the ground and Lindsey's scream of rage and disbelief as she to fell to the floor, unmoving and quiet. Dead? No, no… her chest was moving up and down Charlotte noted with relief, just knocked unconscious by the sheer sound.

"Fantastic," the Doctor said, the word carrying unnatural weight in the now dead air. He turned the sonic screwdriver off, returning the cave to its natural acoustics. Sweet relief from the wailing noise graced the group. Silence. Never had nothing sounded so good…

"Here," the Doctor called quietly, gently tossing the screwdriver underhand to Charlotte. To her great surprise, she caught it easily. "Setting 189, untying knots and ropes, get it right this time."

Charlotte nodded but paused on her way across from the TARDIS to where her friends were tied, turning to the Doctor. "And what are you doing?" she asked as the Doctor strolled over to where Lindsey was lying on the ground.

"Taking care of your chum and this equipment," was his sharp retort and she instantly turned back to her task at hand. With a small beep the knot around Rose Tyler's wrists broke, and she rubbed her wrists gratefully. Charlotte smiled and moved on to the next girl.

"Doctor!" Rose said happily and stretched out her cramped legs by walking over to where he stood, or rather, kneeled. He was examining Lindsey's head with the sonic screwdriver. "What you doing?"

The Doctor muttered with interest, perhaps forgetting that Rose had spoken to him, "Oh, I haven't seen this in a long time… transmitter energy used, transforming waves that were designed for the body to be transformed into atoms then transferred across a certain length of time and space and then rearranged into a solid matter, but with this it's been _changed_ so instead of doing what it's meant to, it's been changed so that it transfers a simple word or phrase and then enters the mind taking over-"

"I see," she nodded, though she hadn't understood what he really said. She hated it when he did this. Rose knew better than to ask what he was talking about, he'd only look at her as if she'd grown another head and was drooling down the chin of both heads. She turned to the guides and whispered, "Did any of you get that?"

"Megh…" Katherine answered in a monotone.

"Translation," she asked in a joking way. The other Rose answered dryly, "'Megh', one of two possible definitions. The first meaning she doesn't care, the second, hasn't been paying attention… in this case, most likely the two."

"Right," Rose murmured in disbelief. They had an actual definition? One minute they were completely on the same wavelength (shock at suddenly being tied up and facing a bully-cum-villain) and then they came out with such weird statements such as 'she doesn't care'.

"You'll get used to it hopefully," Eleanor cut in. "She probably does care really. She just doesn't wonna act like a softie"

"Hey," Katherine cried out and lunged towards Eleanor who simply 'gahed' and side-stepped to avoid a slap and laughed.

"Oh, and that's a big thing too," Rose-the-guide confided. "Katherine loves hitting things, and as you've seen with Lindsey, biting. It's like she's forever four."

"Trick is with Katherine is to just go with it, otherwise you'll never get along," Charlotte added and Rose nodded, not knowing what else to say.

"Speaking of big," she added. "How exactly are you going to explain all of this" (she made a gesture with her hand) "to your leader and" (she lowered her voice) "and how will you convince him to let you have a ride?"

* * *

A/N: Not much to say, will say more next chapter.


	9. One Trip Only

"And so Mrs with all due respect this was a new park activity which we decided to try out" Rose answered the older woman whom she assumed was Charlotte, Eleanor, Rose and Katherine's so called Captain

"And so, Mrs., with all due respect this was a new park activity," Rose informed the older woman whom she assumed was Charlotte, Eleanor, Rose, and Katherine's 'Captain'. Holding up the psychic paper, she nodded to the other guides, "I apologise sincerely for any inconvenience you had and will be sending a survey around to ask for your opinion on the activity. Again, apologies for any concern it caused you for the activity to suddenly be sprung on you in such a way. It won't happen again." With a quick nod, Rose quickly shoved the psychic paper back into her pocket before the older woman could get a good look at it and (possibly) realise it wasn't a proper park manager's badge. Turning, she walked briskly but elegantly back to the TARDIS stood, still hidden to the campsite of guides.

"So how'd it go?" the Doctor asked once she'd passed the hedge and she shook her head at his cocky, yet happy grin, as he leaned against the closed door of the TARDIS.

"Went perfectly fine," Rose grinned, "Don't think she really bought the story, but she didn't question it at least." She glanced at the TARDIS door and superstitiously crossed her fingers in her pocket.

"Glad to be back?" the Doctor asked, picking up on her so-called 'subtle' glances at the entrance to his ship while he unlocked the door and opened it.

"Yeh," she answered then mentally kicked herself. Her tone wasn't as convincing as it should have been and she'd answered too fast to be natural.

"What's-" the Doctor started, but stopped and frowned then turned back to Rose a knowing look on his face. Walking quickly into the TARDIS he headed straight for the wardrobe and Rose winced slightly at the sound of him yelling. "I THOUGHT I GOT RID OF YOU!"

Closing the TARDIS door behind herself, she let out a small laugh as four familiar faces came flying into view, followed by fits of giggles. They'd been discovered then. She knew they wouldn't have been able to hide for long from the Doctor.

"Right, before I _really_ do chuck someone out," the Doctor shouted over the giggles a serious expression on his face, ignoring the wince coming from Charlotte's direction. "Would someone tell me what's going on?"

"Well," Eleanor started smiling somewhat nervously, glancing back at her friends for support, "We were wondering…" Charlotte elbowed her to get on with it. "Ifyou'dletustocomewithyou?" she spit out rapid-fire, quite red but hopeful. Rose-the-guide hit her forehead at the inelegance of the request.

"Please!" Katherine begged before the Doctor could cut in with a 'no', which they all could see he was going to say. It was as clear as glass on his face. "If we have to listen to Charlotte mope around telling us how she must of somehow upset you and that it was because of _that_, she missed out on a trip in the TARDIS which didn't involve us having to be rescued, I'll not only kill her but I'll also kill you for putting me through such torture!"

"You know," the Doctor started calmly but Rose could tell that the girls had picked up on his usual mocking tone, "if you lot claim to know so much about me, you should know I don't pick up hitchhikers. Especially not annoying ones like girl guides."

"Oh come on, you picked me up," Rose cut in before the girls could say anything and ruin their chances. Not that she knew why she was helping them. Maybe it was just that nagging feeling in the back of her mind, which like earlier. "A simple shop-girl."

"Why does it not surprise me you're mixed in with this?" the Doctor asked turning an accusing eye on Rose who simply glared back with a look that clearly said she wasn't about to be challenged. "No! And that's final!" He turned to open the TARDIS door when a low rumble stopped him short and he groaned, shaking his head in disbelief. "OK, fine!" he shouted suddenly, turning to the girls, "for some reason my technology not only acts weird around you lot but" (his tone changed to something more annoyed, maybe even sullen) "it also likes you in some strange sort of way. But only for one trip and one trip only! I mean it!"

All four girls cheered and hugged each other before running over and hugging the Doctor himself, completely oblivious to his groan of annoyance. He skulked over to the driver's seat. What was with all the hugs anyway? Thankfully he'd escaped the next round of gratitude from the girls who hadn't seemed to notice his new whereabouts. However, Rose did notice and followed him over.

"What made you change your mind?" she asked in a whisper she knew he could hear, even over the sound of the girls cheering and noisy chatter. "You never agree to such things that easily. It took me days for you to finally consider me good enough to join you; it took them a minute if that." She prayed that she didn't sound jealous. Getting to know the girls wouldn't be too bad and having some more girl-power against a grumpy old time-lord mightn't be so bad.

"I used the sonic screw driver to analyze some piece of metal I found. It didn't like the solid at all. Then I have people appearing in my TARDIS without using a key and then to top it all off, my girl suddenly appears to have flown out into space without my say so or realizing it. And what's also fantastic is that the old girl starts talking to these strangers. The TARDIS has never spoken to anyone but me. I'm keeping an eye on them," was his answer. Why didn't the fact that things were suddenly going way off the normal chart- even the time-space travelling sort of normal- worry her? It should have bothered her something rotten, but it didn't. Maybe she was just getting too used to the strange and unpredictable.

"So," Charlotte's voice cut through the chatter of the girl guides, and Rose looked up wondering what the blonde wanted. "What did happen back there? I mean, I was there and everything, but how'd Lindsey do all that? I kinda missed the explanation…"

He sighed. "She transmitted a signal, from on top of the abseiling tower which then broadcasted it all over the park. That's why your 'pack' was forced to do her will when they heard the command phrase," the Doctor answered not bothering to look at the girls. His head was too full of thoughts which needed to be sorted out for him to bother with them at that moment. He'd ask Rose to show them to their rooms soon to get them out of the way and after they'd settled (and he was hoping) they'd quiet down and answer some questions for him.

"Oh. So-" He groaned as the sound of Charlotte's voice yet again sounded over her friends' murmurs. He'd have to keep an eye on that one. Too nosy and unaware. Something told him she was destined for trouble. "Where to next then?" she asked, completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere between herself and the annoyed Doctor in the corner.

Rose glanced at the girls before manoeuvring behind and giving them gentle shove. They followed obediently and she smiled as they allowed themselves to be pushed down the far corridor of the TARDIS. Obviously they were in a hurry to explore the huge space ship which strangely, she noted, none of them had mentioned it was 'bigger on the inside'. She turned to the Doctor to give him a reassuring smile only to frown. His face clearly showed that he was ready to make Girl Guide shmores as Charlotte happily nattered on. That's when she realized- it was mainly Charlotte who was beginning to really get on his nerves. From then on, she decided she'd have to watch out for that in future. Make sure that she wasn't too close to him for more than a minute or for all she knew, World War 7 might start out. Now how to get her over here while seeming natural…

"Charlotte! Get a move on!" Katherine called suddenly. Rose sent her a mental thank-you. "We're gunna see the TARDIS!" The other guide's eyes widened. "Wait for me!" she cried and bolted over, completely forgetting about the Doctor.

"Right-" Rose shouted to get their attention, even though (and this was a first she noted) they were quiet, "Who wants to find their room first?"

* * *

"That's it?" Erik asked as if expecting more, "but _Monsieur_ Doctor something doesn't add up. _Mademoiselle_ Katherine said you looked different than what you do now, but how is that possible?"

"Yes, I did look different," the Doctor answered, and then put on a sulky look, "and I wasn't ginger."

"You were a lot colder and grumpier than now," Charlotte mumbled as he ranted about not being ginger and grinned innocently as the Doctor sent her a glare, reminding her with a shiver about the past. Oh, how her relationship with the Doctor had changed since then. Now she told him most things when they talked one to one (which wasn't often but she wasn't complaining), whereas before both of them used to argue or something would stop their conversation before either side had the required information they'd been seeking.

"It's never too late for you to meet the vortex which calls your name," the Doctor added in a mock stern voice and Charlotte scooted closer to Sec and held onto his arm.

"I don't think Thay would be too happy if you did that," Sec answered chuckling at the thought of the reaction which would come from the youngest ex-Cult's member. The look of uncertainty on Charlotte's face was also priceless. "Though I'm sure Jast wouldn't complain too much, and _Caan"_ (he said the name with detest) "might even thank you to you for doing such a thing. He'd probably be a little annoyed he didn't do the deed himself."

"Who are these people you speak of?" Erik asked and Katherine laughed at the familiar situation. "That Erik, is a very long story-"

"Too long for now," Charlotte cut in, flinching slightly at the thought of it all. Katherine sent her a glare for being interrupted. "It, one, involves more than one person to tell that story as it involves us being split up from each other, and it wouldn't make sense if you didn't hear each part in turn, and two, it's a long story and I'm not just saying that to get away from the subject. It's also got the answer to your question earlier, Erik, the one about why the Doctor looked different than from what he did."

Her look turned to that of reverie as she remembered the endless time in the Void and night after cold night trying to keep up a social life as well as keeping four Daleks at bay. Then there was the images of her in the dalek prawn t-shirt. Oh, that one was shameless. She now knew how Rose felt when she was caught in the German air raid wearing the union jack across her chest. In fact she almost felt sorry for the Dalek Emperor who questioned it with, she assumed, amusement. Or rage. Or maybe even shock. It was hard to tell with Daleks. Now that had been a very interesting and funny conversation…

"Speaking of this Thay, who is he to you _Mademoiselle_?" Erik asked, "An admirer? Because according to your messaging device, you've been speaking to him quite a lot."

Charlotte blushed at the mention of admirer then answered, making sure she got her tone just right. She didn't want them to get the wrong idea, and by the look on Katherine's face, they already had. She mentally groaned. "He thinks he owes me a life debt," she grumbled, hating that her Dalek 'friend' was determined to repay her. "Even if sometimes it doesn't show with the way we talk to each other. He's a total flirt."

"Ah, I see," Erik mused nodding, "but how did you save his life?"

"Do you remember us mentioning the long story?" Katherine asked grinning. Her chance to pay her friend back for the mistletoe trick was now. "Well, it ties into that, oh, and what might I ask does your so-called Dalek "friend" want this time? If that's who you've been talking to all this time, I might have to do some different matchmaking- forget you and what, was his name from your college…"

"He wants to come and join us for one trip. He says he's got something about-" Charlotte mouthed the last word to her friend whose eyes widened before nodding. Both girls ignored the Doctor's confused look and sarcastic comment about 'more secrets'. "And Kat, don't you dare try your match making on me and him, it won't work. Just like it wouldn't have worked with the guy from college! There were no feelings for him what-so-ever, he was just a friend like Thay is."

"Sure, that's what you say… wonder if he says the same thing," Katherine teased before letting out one of her evil laughs.

Sec grinned as he listened to the argument between Katherine and Charlotte, and as Charlotte groaned, sinking lower into the seat next to him and hiding her face with her knees. What felt like a lifetime of living with her in the void and in Manhattan, had gained him enough knowledge about her to know she hated being the centre of attention. And he could imagine Thay's response. If he knew how much it was winding up the poor Earth girl, he'd probably go along with Katherine's idea for a laugh. The sound of Katherine and his laughter would be heard from the farthest reaches of the galaxy if any of the inhabitants stopped and listened. How much fun was it to wind up the poor blonde?

* * *

One week later- TARDIS Time

* * *

Once again the sound of music filled the TARDIS, only instead of 'Music of the Night' a voice followed singing 'Angel of Music'.

The Doctor stared blankly at the TARDIS' central core, all activity within the TARDIS completely flying over the top of his head. His thoughts were on what to do with Martha. She'd already phoned her mother a couple of times before he'd agreed to pick up Erik and now he had come to realize that once again his 'one trip only' had yet again turned into more. Maybe Katherine and Charlotte were right and he was getting softer.

"Doctor?"

The Doctor jumped. Sec and Erik were in the doorway staring at him in concern. It was then he realized the sound of music and singing had stopped. And that he was staring into space completely lost.

"What is wrong _Monsieur_?" Erik asked, a little uneasily. This was the first time he'd seen the Doctor look so down about something.

"Is this about Martha?" Sec asked and Erik stared at him, hiding his amazement. How had the hybrid known about such a thing when he hadn't? It really disturbed him when people knew things he didn't. Unless the Doctor has said something about it before… but no, he hadn't, so how did he catch on?

"I'm slightly psychic," Sec mumbled in response and even though he wasn't entirely sure what it meant he could tell the hybrid was ashamed of it, "I saw it in the Doctor's mind… he doesn't know whether or not to send Martha home."

Erik nodded, understanding, but that still didn't clear why Sec seemed ashamed of being able to read minds. "You must do what is best for _Mademoiselle_ Jones," Erik whispered and he knew the Doctor was silently agreeing. Sec gave him a thankful smile. The alien was glad he'd had someone tell the Doctor the answer, for he was still struggling with emotions and other human ways.

"Then I guess there's only one thing for it then," the Doctor murmured and Erik and Sec looked at him. "It's time for one last trip," and with a small grin he pulled the handbrake and shouted "Allon-sy!"

* * *

6 Hours Later- London Time

* * *

"Sorry, did he just say that he'll change what it means to be human?" the Doctor asked, sticking his head out of the TARDIS, staring first at Martha then at the TV in her bedroom.

"Yeah," Martha whispered in disbelief, happy to see the Doctor again in such a short time.

It had only been one minute since she'd been forced to say goodbye to the crew. She'd given Sec and (much to Katherine's dislike) Erik a hug and good-bye kiss wishing, them both luck (This time she was sure Sec had blushed a deeper shade of red than Erik).Then she'd moved on to the girls and (both to their dismay) pulled them into a tight hug, giving them a kiss on the cheek as well.

As she'd stepped into the room, both Erik and Sec gasped quietly. Both had never seen a modern day room. Unlike Sec, even though Erik had seen a proper human home before, he'd never seen it filled with the technology which he'd found in the TARDIS. He'd been amazed with the TV and had (until Martha stopped him) tried to unplug it to see how it worked.

Then, to make matters worse, her mother had phoned, and they'd all huddled around the TV watching her sister on the TV for a couple of rels (she'd frowned at that though, rels? What was she? Turning dalek now?) before the goodbyes had finished.

Now here she was saying hello again. Then again, she mused, that's the beauty of time travel. Go for six years come back right where you left off only two minutes later.

"Right then! Guess we've got a new adventure on our hands," the Doctor ducked back into the TARDIS for a second," Troops! Fall in!"

"There's only one problem-" Martha said trying to get the Doctor's attention as everyone scrambled out of the TARDIS like one of those clown cars. It was getting a bit crowded with six people and a big blue box in her room. "Is that I can get into the display as my sister's invited me, but I don't know what you lot will do for cover."

"That's easy," Charlotte explained calmly. "You see, Katherine and I aren't just girl guides. In all honestly we're too old for guides, but we're still guides because our pack would probably fall apart if my friends and I weren't there. But what we also are is Senior Section members. You go from being a Rainbow to a Brownie, a Brownie to a Guide and then a Guide to a Senior Section member, or Ranger, whatever you prefer. And Rangers are just like Guides, except we can represent our pack at formal events."

"Sounds like a plan," Martha nodded, liking it. "I'll phone Tish to let her know to put you down on the guest list." Her face switched to a look of horror, "But don't you need more than two people?"

Katherine bounced up from her spot on the bed and held up her phone. "On it. Calling Eleanor, Rose, Sam, and Poppy, though I'm a bit reluctant about the later..." Katherine and Charlotte shared a look and shuddered. "Poppy's waaay too friendly sometimes-" (then they mumbled together) "and her meeting Captain Jack Harkness-" (more shudders) "Not good!"

Deciding that she didn't want to know about the mysterious 'Poppy' she turned to the Doctor, Sec, and Erik. With the exception of Erik, they were all looking glum and unsure.

"Not the entire crew of them" the Doctor grumbled as if in agony. "There's almost more of them I can handle right now." Having never met all of Katherine's friends, Erik didn't know what he was getting himself into, but from the sound of it, nothing good could come of it.

"We'll use the Psychic paper Martha, don't worry about how we're going to get in," Sec said as Erik glanced at the Doctor with a worried expression. How exactly would Sec and himself disguise their faces? Unless it was a masquerade…

"And what about me?" a new voice asked and all heads turned back towards the corridor leading into the TARDIS. There stood another hybrid just like Sec, only younger looking, leaning against the TARDIS wall with both hands in his pockets. His eye colour was the same (a brilliant blue) as were his facial features, only the tentacle appendages were slightly longer to show youthfulness. His body was covered in clothes from an era Erik didn't recognise. A short sleeved white flimsy shirt, not fully buttoned covered his top half, with a sleeveless jacket over the top. This garment, unlike the shirt, was completely undone and stopped above the waist rather than below. Beige trousers covered his legs as well as a pair of smart beige shoes. "I think I'll need a date for the ball. Who volunteers?" he asked cockily, striding forward.

"Oh it's _you_," Martha grumbled, not in the mood to deal with the youngest member of the legendary 'Cult of Skaro'. "I thought it was someone new and important."

"Lovely. And I thought you were someone who knew the importance of good housekeeping," he shot back. Twirling a pair of bright red panties on his finger, he shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, Martha…," he grinned seeing her face go almost as dark as the panties.

"_Give_ me those!"

"Who is that _Monsieur _Sec?" Erik whispered, asking Sec rather than the Doctor because of the newest member's looks. Maybe shutting yourself away in the TARDIS playing an organ wasn't always the best thing to do. Safer, yes. Smarter…? Probably not.

"Thay meet Erik, Erik, meet Thay, Sec's _annoying_ younger brother," Charlotte grumbled, trying to ignore Katherine's sniggers coming from beside her and the almost smug grin on Thay's face. This was not her day, she decided. Though she mused it could have been worse, much worse. It could have been Caan instead of Thay.

"Gee- _thanks_, _Lev_. Such a warm greeting," the hybrid answered. "Wouldn't you rather give me a kiss instead?"

"THAY!" she pushed him out of her face, blushing a ruddy tomato colour. He looked at her with a pouting face, but his eye betrayed his inner laughter.

Oh, it was going to be a _long_ party.

A/N: Why oh why are the lines on Fanfiction sooo anoying? starts ranting. Well here you have it. Double update because well ummmm wonders if she should simply grass on her Beta nagh double update because well I havent updated for so long :). Oh let me know what you think to.


	10. Party Girls

Erik was beginning to see what the Doctor meant when he said two were more than enough girl guides on board the TARDIS. It had been an hour since the invitations and calls to Katherine's friends, as well as to the mysterious Poppy, were placed and the engine room had been thrown into chaos.

"Poppy can't make it!" Katherine shouted over the other guides, holding the mobile against her neck so the shouting in the control room would be at least muffled for the person on the line. A loud chorus of groans and suggestions showered the guide, each tripping over the other voices and getting confused in the interruption.

Maybe this event wasn't worth it, he mused, thinking there had to be a better, or at the very least, quieter way to do it.

Rose had been the first to arrive.

Calmly and quietly, she instantly walked over to her friends, completely oblivious to his existence as well as Sec, Thay, and the Doctor's. But her simple presence in it-self had stirred up the atmosphere, as the girls quickly launched into a long catch-up and explanation of why they needed her. Soon they were swapping in-jokes and laughing, leaving the others feel a bit excluded. Not that Erik minded overly much. From what he could make out, Rose was one of sanest of the group. All had been relatively quiet until the fourth member of the gang had arrived.

The first word that greeted his sensitive ears was a very loud, very high-pitched 'CH-IIIIIP!'. This was followed by a quick apology for taking so long to arrive. "Sorry- I so had to stop for chips," Sam stated laughing, "Ozzie's chips of course."

He, Sec, and Thay had exchanged confused glances as none of them had been to a chip shop before. Thay muttered, "Lev did mention something about it in Manhattan, remember?"

Sec shuddered and Charlotte, even though she'd only picked up on half the conversation, flinched too. Erik took mental note to ask about that story again later. It was obvious the hybrids and she had some history together.

The fifth and final member to arrive had startled him greatly and made his fingers reach for his Punjab lasso out of relax, which, fortunately for the stranger, had been left behind in the Opera House. Not that he could be blamed; the only thing he saw was the blurry outline of slim brunette of similar size to Katherine speed through the TARDIS and jump Sam, nearly knocking them both over. It was not overreaction to think the intruder was attacking the girl. It wasn't until he'd calmed down from the shock that he'd realized it was a female and she wasn't bothering Sam at all by clinging onto her neck.

"Ugh- Eleanor, leave Sam be for a little while, will you?" Katherine grumbled. Eleanor simply grinned before turning to greet the Doctor, who nodded at her politely, albeit reluctantly, and Martha, who greeted her with a friendly hug.

"I hear Kat's been trying out her match making skills," Eleanor said as she glanced at Charlotte, after high-fiving Katherine. "Come on, spill it. Who's she trying to set you up with this time?"

Erik turned to Thay, who was grinning at Charlotte, only to have his grin returned with a warning glare. One which obviously had some effect because Thay's grin quickly flustered and faded, only for a smirk to take its place a second later as an idea wormed it's way into his mind. The Frenchman could only guess at what he was thinking, but he was certain it had something to do with Eleanor's belief in matchmaking. "Hey, Eleanor-"

"BRILLIANT!" The sudden shout came from below, more echoed than actually shouted, but loud all the same. The Doctor stuck his head up out of the grating, pushing the panel of floor away as he clamoured out with three small trinkets. He was a bit dustier than usual, but obviously pleased with himself. "I'm so brilliant."

"What is it Doctor?" he asked, edging closer wanting to see what the Doctor had conjured up. It was three watches, with plain faces and all different colours on the straps; to fit their dress scheme he assumed. Red for him, black for Sec and a beige one for Thay.

"It's a way to disguise your faces. Sec and Thay will appear human and your face will appear normal." The Doctor grinned obviously happy with his new gadgets. "No more mask, isn't that brilliant?"

"Let me guess, the chameleon circuit?" Charlotte asked.

"Nope, but good idea though." Still grinning, the Doctor turned to make sure he had a captive audience. "Photonic Displacement. Rearranges the photons, changing the way light hits objects, with a dash of manipulated electromagnetics for that solid feeling."

"…How does that help us Monsieur Doctor?" Erik inquired.

"It changes the appearance of the wearer. In your watches, there are perfect replicas of human faces and bodies," he explained. "The perfect disguise for any occasion."

"I see. Very well, Monsieur," Erik said as he accepted the watch held out to him.

There was a stifled gasp from the girls' direction as all three men put the watches on and were transformed. Katherine slowly made her way over to Erik, who tipped up the corner of his mouth in a smile.

"Did it work?" she asked, rising a hand to remove the mask and was shocked to see a whole face in good condition. "Oh," she gasped and her smile widened, "it did!"

"I told you it would." The Doctor whipped around the corner, disappearing into the wardrobe. "Now, time to get ready!"

* * *

A Few Hours Later (London Time)

"Wow, mark this day in history- Lev is actually wearing a skirt!" Thay- now a rather attractive young brunet- whistled. "Ni-ice."

"What about us?"

"Eh… The rest of you look fine. You know, for hairless-apes in dresses."

"What did you say squid-boy?" a girl's voice demanded angrily.

Erik was beginning to see why Martha hadn't been too pleased to see the young hybrid. He was much too cocky for his liking.

Katherine- in his opinion- looked more beautiful than ever, wearing long black trousers, a lovely turquoise blue shirt with a flower in the corner, and her hair brushed to a shine. She emerged from the main corridor of the TARIDS, shortly followed by Eleanor, Rose, Sam and Charlotte. All three girls were wearing the same attire as Katherine- except Charlotte who had on a short skirt, cut just below the knee. He also noted that all five girls were wearing yellow neck scarf which were done up at the front with a toggle.

"We have a problem," Katherine addressed the Doctor, ignoring Thay's teasing and backhanded compliments. "We can't find a flag. And we looked everywhere!"

"Have you tried the wardrobe?" the Doctor inquired looking thoughtful, "Because if there's not one there then-"

Katherine grumbled 'no' and gave Sam an evil look. The red-head grinned sheepishly ("So I forgot one teeny little room…") as the group wandered back into the TARDIS, minus Charlotte, who was busy giving Thay a lecture as to why she'd never worn a skirt and why was wearing one now. He noticed with amusement that the hybrid seemed not to be listening, but rather making more fun of the flustered girl instead.

The Frenchman's attention turned to the elder hybrid, who seemed to be struggling with the tie hanging about his neck. In fact, it was the rather colourful euphuisms he was muttering under his breath that drew his ear to his fellow's plight.

"Here _Monsieur,_ allow me to assist," he said easily doing up the long black piece of silk with a flourish.

"Thank you," Sec muttered, fingering the knot. Daleks never asked for help. Asking now still made Sec feel uneasy. Erik smiled, not realizing his companion's inner conflict.

"Found one!" Katherine's voice rung out triumphantly as the girls strolled back in holding a large flag carrier. "Not exactly the same as ours but its close enough… it will have to do."

The Doctor called out to round everyone up. He adjusted his watch more securely on his wrist as Sec and Thay did the same, the girls double-checked all their Rangers equipment, and Martha, looking elegant in the simple black dress she wore, discreetly grabbed the psychic paper that the Doctor had forgotten. With a grin from the Doctor, clad in his very own tuxedo, he opened the doors and the large party headed out.


End file.
